Mass Transfer Approval Requests
Mass Transfer Approval Requests is the Salesforce Setup tool that lets administrators reassign pending approval requests in bulk from one user to another.
Definition
Mass Transfer Approval Requests is the Salesforce Setup tool that lets administrators reassign pending approval requests in bulk from one user to another. The tool addresses a specific operational pain point: when an approver leaves the company, goes on extended leave, or changes role, their pending approval requests stop moving. Without bulk reassignment, every pending request must be reassigned manually one at a time, which is impractical for high-volume approval workflows. The tool runs through Setup, supports filtering by various criteria (current approver, approval process), and reassigns matching requests to a new user in one operation.
The tool only affects pending approval requests; approved or rejected requests cannot be reassigned through this path. The reassignment preserves the approval history: the request retains its original submitter, submission date, and any prior approver actions. Only the current pending step shifts to the new approver. This preserves audit integrity for compliance scenarios where the approval chain must be reconstructible after the fact.
How Mass Transfer Approval Requests works
When you need this tool
Three scenarios drive use. First: a user leaves the company with pending approvals in their queue. Second: a role change moves approval responsibility to a different person. Third: an extended absence (parental leave, sabbatical) where requests should not wait until return. In all three, manual one-at-a-time reassignment through the standard UI is impractical for any nontrivial volume.
Filter criteria
The tool filters by current approver, approval process, submitter, and date range. The most common filter is by current approver: reassign all pending requests for User A to User B. Optionally narrow by approval process to keep a specific workflow's requests separate. Build the filter precisely; broad filters risk reassigning requests to someone who should not see them.
Preview before reassignment
The tool shows a preview of matching requests before reassignment. Verify the count and sample records match expectations. The preview is the last safety check; reassignment is reversible but only by repeating the operation in the opposite direction, which adds operational overhead.
Notification behavior
The new approver receives a standard pending approval notification for each reassigned request. The original approver is not notified by default. For organizations using approval delegation features (Delegate User), the delegation chain is separate from this manual reassignment.
Audit history preservation
Reassignment preserves the approval history. The request retains its original submitter, submission timestamp, and any prior step actions. The Process Instance Step record gets a new approver assignment but the upstream history remains intact. Compliance audits can reconstruct the original approval chain through Process Instance and ProcessInstanceStep records.
Permission requirements
Mass Transfer Approval Requests requires the Modify All Data permission (or equivalent administrative access). Standard users cannot reassign others' approval requests. The permission gates access to the tool entirely; it is not exposed to non-admin profiles.
Alternatives for ongoing scenarios
For situations where approval responsibility regularly shifts (vacation coverage, on-call rotations), the approval Delegate User field on the User record is the proper tool. Each user can delegate their approvals to another user; the delegate sees the same pending queue. Use Delegate User for ongoing scenarios; reserve Mass Transfer for one-time event-driven reassignments.
Run a bulk approval reassignment
Running Mass Transfer Approval Requests safely involves precise filtering, preview verification, and follow-up communication with the new approver. The steps below cover the standard flow.
- Confirm the scenario
Verify this is a one-time reassignment rather than an ongoing coverage need. For ongoing, use Delegate User instead.
- Identify the source and target
Confirm which user has the pending requests (source) and which user should receive them (target). Confirm the target has the appropriate access to act on the requests.
- Open Mass Transfer Approval Requests
Setup > Data > Mass Transfer Approval Requests. The page is straightforward; pick the source user.
- Set additional filters
Optionally filter by approval process, date range, or submitter. The narrower the filter, the safer the operation.
- Preview matching requests
Click Find. Review the count and sample. Confirm everything matches expectations before proceeding.
- Select target approver
Pick the new approver. Confirm they have access to the relevant records and the approval process.
- Execute and notify
Run the transfer. Send a separate communication to the new approver letting them know they have inherited pending requests and the context.
Pick the user whose pending requests will move.
Optional narrowing to one specific process.
Optional narrowing by submission date.
Optional narrowing by who submitted.
The user receiving the reassigned requests.
- Only pending requests can be reassigned. Completed approvals are fixed; the audit history cannot be rewritten.
- Broad filters risk reassigning to inappropriate users. Verify the preview before executing.
- Reassignment is reversible only by repeating in the opposite direction. Build the filter carefully the first time.
- The new approver receives standard notifications. Pair with manual communication explaining the context.
- For ongoing coverage, Delegate User is the proper tool. Mass Transfer is for event-driven one-time changes.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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